The Anti-Feminist takedown

Hello mates.

This is miles long, buckle up.

This week my good friend P sent me a charming video entitled ‘MILO effortlessly shuts down black feminist NAACP president’. The twat in question, a Milo Yiannopoulos, has been banned from Twitter according to Wikipedia, and gives unwavering support for Donald Trump, which is about all you need to know to sum him up. Why am I wasting my time on this waste of oxygen? Because of the 79,000 likes he got on Facebook for said video, the 129,389 shares by people who don’t know any better, and because of the twisted comments about feminism beneath (feminism is a hate group etc).

Who is this middle class white British guy to totally mansplain, incorrectly, issues affecting women and black people – to a female black person? Literally WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?!!?!?!?? I can’t get over his ego and idiocy. The person he’s being a dick to, incidentally, is president of the NAACP group at the university at which he is speaking – which is one of the earliest and proudest organisations for black rights in America. Who the hell does he think he is? He knows nothing of these struggles.

Find this guy’s video, put him on split screen with me with your finger over the pause button, and let’s tear this guy’s non-argument to shreds.

The NAACP uni president says “You fail to mention that feminism is the belief that men and women are equal. So do you not think this? And also I noticed when you were talking about America’s values and about how great America is, you failed to mention that our nation was built on the power of white men without the acknowledgment of black people, the Indians, women at least, so do you not think that men and women are equal? Do you not acknowledge the problems that we have here in America that does in fact not make America great?”

He says “Women don’t agree with you.” Oh right, you know us all, do you? He says only 1/5 American women describe themselves as feminist while 85% believe in equality, because they know that ‘feminism’ has become twisted into ‘treating men like shit’ when it suits. Wtf?! No it hasn’t. He’s probably met one woman who hates men, assumed she’s feminist, and decided we are all out to get him and therefore it is OK to hate us all. Um. “Feminism is a mean, vindictive, spiteful, nasty, man-hating philosophy” – oh wow. Sorry for trying to make the world a better place with, ya know, education for women, equal wages, pointing out social inequalities, and – yes – tackling ‘men’s issues’ too like the damage caused by hypermasculinity and emotional repression. It has NOTHING to do with man-hating. It has everything to do with creating a better social atmosphere in which both boys and girls, and everyone of every gender identity, sexual identity, race, can grow up safe, respected, and validated, without the rigidities imposed by historical social norms. We need change. Look at practices from relatively recently that we now find offensive or barbaric – cockfighting, bear-baiting, animals in circuses, five-year-old chimney sweeps – I’m not comparing forcing little girls to play with dolls to chucking them up chimneys, but look how quickly our views can change and how much better we now perceive the world without those things that were once seen to be not only normal but desirable. If we allow in reason, change doesn’t have to be bad, and one day we might view present ‘genderisation’ (is that a word?) and inequality to be as alien a notion as mummifying your dead relatives and keeping them in the house (yep, happened in the good ol’ days).

Women aren’t abandoning feminism in their millions. I was under the impression we were entering a new dawn of feminism, actually. Go us. Can I also just point out how condescending his mannerisms, tone and facial expressions are? Continue.

Yikes, I have to say his 1/5 American women and 7% of UK women describing themselves as feminist seem to check out. Worrying. But I guess, then, they don’t know what it is. Not calling yourself a feminist in case people think you hate men is like not calling yourself a writer because once, someone wrote a book called Mein Kampf.

YES, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF FEMINISM IS EQUALITY. We don’t have time to ‘beat down on men’, there’s too much work to do. Unless, of course, by ‘beating down on men’ you mean ‘calling them out when they’re being sexist’. Which you may well do. Because men are never wrong. *Sigh*

With the older generations I think we do have a PR problem, yes. I’m not really sure why. But feminists are perfectly entitled to shout loudly to get your attention because, as P said, quote “It’s not like we’ve ever had to fight for the right to be treated like human beings or anything… It makes me so mad! The only reason we are so vocal is because we’ve been made to be silent for centuries” YAAAS P, slay.

“I do, I love women, and I care about them” oh dear. Good for you. Cos we need you to love and care about us. Actually, oh yeah, no we don’t. We would just like you to respect us as humans. Not because we are women. Because we have this radical idea that we’re just PEOPLE. Also would you feel you had to validate your opinion of men with “I love men, and I care about them”? No? Why not? Is it because they don’t need looking after? Would you be uncomfortable with saying you love men – and if so, why?

Hey, we are not ‘perfectly happy to treat men like shit’ and OH MY ‘spread these conspiracy theories about the patriarchy’ – WHOA WHOA WHOA THERE BIG FELLA you WHAT?!?! Oh my, see if he’d notice the matriarchy, if there was one, if from the age of 11 years old women leered at him in the street, grabbed his butt, told him he was provocative and it was his fault, prevented him from going to class because his shorts distracted the girls, told he was bad at maths because boys just are so he would never be an engineer but not to worry because he was pretty so he’d probably be able to find a rich woman to marry one day, and he could stay at home with the children where he belongs, or perhaps find a part-time job in the lowest-earning sectors and be paid less than even female colleagues in the exact same position, and then be required to pay a fortune for the upkeep of his unnaturally manicured and waxed body which he has to keep perfect otherwise he’s disgusting. AND BREATHE. But yeah, conspiracies, go.

Lies about campus rape culture? He clearly didn’t go to uni then – or he was so entrenched in it he couldn’t see it. Ouch.

And now, racism! Oh, he agrees with structural historical problems – good start, but they ain’t historical, they’re ongoing. And from there he wanders from Obnoxious Avenue to Ignorance Central. “I agree the black community has been treated like HELL by both democrats and republicans” – huh? I feel like using the word hell here is kinda inappropes, and also you are basically correct but this isn’t a party issue here. It’s an intrinsic racism problem through all walks of life. And you, a middle-class white British idiot (sorry America, we do seem to keep exporting them, don’t we?) ‘don’t think Black Lives Matter is the answer’? OoooKaaaaayyyy I’d like to see your solution, then. Comparing a powerful, striking, much-needed movement bringing attention to the ingrained racism of the supposed protectors (police) among others to ‘throwing your toys out the pram’ is INCREDIBLY insulting and shows zero understanding or respect of the fact that black lives are taken every day where white lives, in the same situation, just wouldn’t be. ‘Burning your own cities’ – YOUR cities – because you, as black people, are separate!! How’s about you look up your Brow v. Board of Education (1954), Sweatt v. Painter (1950) and your Civil Rights Act (1964) (hell yeah I paid attention in history… ok I had to check the dates but…) Separate but equal, sounds to me like what you just referenced. Wow. NO NO NO NO NOOOO.

‘If black people really wanted to improve their situation they would start voting for Republicans’ ahahahAHAHAHAHAHAahahaAHAHAHAHA no stop it’s hurting. Sure the big old Donald Fart is the answer, orange bag of foul-smelling wind he is.

Oh, I can’t even go into the prison stats right now, sorry, that’s a whole new post, this is too long already, SO. MUCH. WRONG.

‘Replacing the black dad’ referring to black dads, plural please, like they’re not people. ‘Do to you guys’ yep all you guys all you black people ALL O’ YOU right now. You not us. YOU GUYS. You black so this is you yep def for sure.

Hahaha nope, we think in this situation whoever in charge doesn’t really matter, mate. The police officers, the teachers, the housing people, they all stay the same no matter what colour the president wears. We’re past party politics when people are dying for the colour of their skin. ‘They need better schools’ yep that would be great but they don’t just appear from thin air. When black kids are fundamentally disadvantaged at school by racism, conscious or not, how is a white dude on a stage helping by telling them to ‘get better schools’ – funding? Teachers? Removing racism? Who starts it, when it’s harder for a black child to stay in class, to become the next gen teachers?  And Black Lives Matter – ‘they cause a fuss’ – again completely infantilising, disrespecting, a movement trying to save lives taken for THE COLOUR OF SOMEONE’S SKIN. How fucking dare you.

Different prescriptions. Hell yeah. Disrespectful, uneducated, fact-free cockwombling moron. And I only feel free to insult him like that because I can defend my own arguments first. I’m not just shouting him down by calling him names. I’m not his hero Donald Drumpf. I can argue my defence and then call him names as a cherry on top to try to make me feel better about there being people like him in the world.

Anyway this is miles and miles long, hope you survived till the end,

Yours furiously,

Georgie

In Other News, Close Friends

Ages ago, I went to see some friends and we had a little get-together at their house. It felt rather grown up because instead of everyone getting smashed on vodka with Ring of Fire, it was wine and cheese that came out, and crackers and biscuits. Only one of my friends, let’s call him Steve, surreptitiously took out one of those biscuits with cream in the middle, pulled it apart, licked out all the cream and put it back in the packet. And my poor friend M had the misfortune to choose said biscuit. She had already eaten it when she said, “That tasted weird. I’m pretty sure the cream was missing,” when Steve cracked up and confessed. Vile.

The weirdest thing was, M wasn’t even annoyed. “I feel like we’re much closer now, Steve,” she said, quite cheerfully. Ew.

 

Feminist Interview

Hey guys! HAPPY NEW YEAR (for tomorrow)!!! Last post of 2015!

Seriously, where has the year gone?

I did my 2015 round-up last week, so back to a fairly normal topic for me, inspired by talking feminism down the pub with my mates.

Here I am, interviewing myself with hopefully relevant questions to people who aren’t sure about the point of feminism. I’m like a sad teenager with a teddy bear and a hairbrush, talking to myself in the mirror. Here goes (it’s a long one).

“Do you describe yourself as feminist?”

Yes. There is a general view that women are equal now, which we aren’t. People believe women have the same rights now, so they pay less attention to ingrained culture and media portrayal of gender roles, stereotypes and body image.

“Is it right to ban the Sun from SUs and campus shops because of page 3?”

Nobody is forced to read the Sun. I think it is a terrible newspaper and Page 3 is degrading, but you need to educate people to make their own choices rather than banning it for them – that way they don’t learn anything and dismiss the feminist cause as a killjoy. But seriously, people who still read that need to ask themselves whether it gives a message they want their sons and daughters receiving – that it’s OK for boys to ogle girls, because that’s what they’re there for. Yeah, healthy…

“Do women shave their body hair due to pressure from men?”

Yes, but men are often influenced by what they see in porn and the media. And I think women are more influenced by competition from other women and their beauty standards, who are influenced by other women in magazines and TV. I’ll never forget one of my close male friends saying once, “I think body hair on girls is just gross.” Why?? Do you not see that that’s really hurtful – and purely from social conditioning?

“So – porn?”

I think it’s probably OK in small doses as a healthy functional adult – but I’m really worried about kids watching it, seriously, the idea really freaks me out. The general aim of porn is to get a guy off as quickly as possible – no actual pleasure, the woman is frequently dominated or even abused, it’s full of smooth hairless bodies, there is no emotional bond, and the sex is not real sex. If this is what kids are using to learn about sex, it’s so messed up. And don’t watch too much of it, please. As an adult, you need to be aware of all times what’s real and what’s not. And porn, definitely, is not.

“Should boys be taught in school not to rape?”

Yes. Women are taught not to get raped – don’t go out alone, don’t walk at night, don’t wear revealing clothes – when they are perfectly entitled to walk around safely, whatever their situation. People don’t really say look out for women and respect them because they are people. Men are taught that their desires come first, and that masculinity is virility. This is so wrong. It does not even give men credit for being able to control themselves – it teaches them not only that they can’t, but that they don’t have to try. Women are blamed for men’s lack of control – but men CAN control themselves and it’s insulting to suggest they can’t. And it should be taught not just in school, but from birth, that boys and girls are equal, equally deserving of respect, and that neither sex has any superiority over the other, despite historical views (which also need to be taught, and then explained why they are wrong).

“Do you have a feminist idol?”

I don’t have just one. I respect and admire all the women (and men) who have worked for women’s rights, from when that was gaining the vote and constitutional rights, to being able to wear trousers or choose who, and whether, you marry, and now trans and racial feminist issues – these aren’t separate and the movement is widening (hooray!!). I think Jesus comes pretty high – he was the original feminist in Westernised culture.

The Mighty Girls page on Facebook is great for learning about feminist role models and game changers.

“Is lad culture a problem at university?”

The drinking culture, ‘beer goggles’, the groping in bars – ‘lads’ think that if a woman is in a club, she is there for their entertainment. If they buy a girl a drink (whether she wants it or not) they think she owes them sex. They take conversation as a green light for snogging/groping. They brag about who they’ve slept with and call them slags or bitches, and I find their double standard infuriating – they gain status while women lose it for exactly the same behaviour. They egg each other on to see who can be the most degrading towards women. They think they are God’s gift to women, but they deliberately target girls with low self-esteem because they believe they’re more likely to get them into bed. They treat women as sex objects, not people. This is fuelled by male competition and alcohol, on top of a lack of basic understanding. They will try to excuse their behaviour as ‘banter’ without realising the damage they do. So yeah, it’s a problem. And not just at university.

“What is the overall reputation of feminism?”

It’s still got a negative connotation (man hating, bra-burning, no fun, ugly, lesbian… all used as insults) but perception is changing, with a new wave of young, intelligent women, and popular culture figures identifying as feminist. A better understanding of the issues being fought for is coming through. People are beginning to realise there is still a problem. However, feminism still causes people to judge you, feel it’s OK to ask you personal questions, or deliberately insult you to get a rise. And many people, bizarrely, even if they agree with your argument, have a problem with the word ‘feminism’. I think this is very odd – and if someone has an issue with the name of the movement being female-centred (after its inception and history) it just proves how much work there is still to be done.

“Are most men sexist?”

It is frequent, but they don’t actually realise it – but so are many women! For instance, a man buying a girl a drink and then sticking to her all night – and the girl expecting a guy to buy her a drink. My dad lets my brother do things he’d never have let me do – biking, camping with friends, going out alone. Sometimes women have this terrible double standard of accepting sexist behaviours which might fall in their favour (opening doors, paying for dates) which really aggravates me – you want equality, or you don’t; you can’t pick and choose. As for the gallantry side, which is seen as ‘positive’ sexism – well, can’t you just do those things for everyone, regardless of gender? Traditional gender roles remain strong – in my house, my mum and I do all the cooking and cleaning. The roles are even present in my flat. There are sexual double standards regarding ‘numbers’. Adverts appeal to men using women in revealing clothes, or in subordinate physical positions, and men respond to these. Men, and women, are so conditioned to these roles that it takes someone to call it out before anyone normally even sees it.

So I’m here to call it out!

Thank you for reading this far, maties.

Yours feminininististly, Georgie

In Other News, No Make Up

I’m a bit iffy on the area of make up to be honest. I’d rather everyone agreed it was just fine for us all to wear it, than for someone to take away my eyebrow pencil because as a feminist I should stoically stand up for my eyebrowlessness, because I should not be judged for my exterior…

So anyway, new boyf about to see me without make up for the first time.

“Are you ready to see me without eyebrows?”

“I don’t know – it can’t be that much of a shock, can it?”

“Well, I don’t quite turn into Sloth Fratelli when I take my make up off, don’t worry.”

“I have no idea who that is,” he says, smiling.

He wasn’t smiling for long when I told him to Google it.

Starting With My Rucksack

My Rucksack

My rucksack is designed for dudes,

It won’t do up across my boobs.

I want my wellies green, not pink

Unlike the shop girl seems to think.

My heels come in less than tens,

While waders sizing is only men’s.

Science stuff is aimed at guys,

It’s visible to all our eyes.

Yes, I like to wear a skirt,

I also like to dig in dirt.

I’ll decorate my notes with hearts,

But I can practise martial arts.

Don’t tell me I run like a girl,

That saying makes me want to hurl.

I can cook and clean but I want a life,

Not to ‘make someone a good housewife’.

Don’t assume, but ask, instead,

Better to get inside my head.

I’m me, you’re you; equality rocks.

Don’t try to put me in a box.

If you do, I’ll break it down,

I’m unique, feminist, and I’m proud.

A little feminism for you lovely folk again today – it’s been a while, hasn’t it?! My posts have been getting shorter lately. Today is my 40^th post – amazingly – I love doing my tiny little blog in a tiny corner of the nethersphere. Since I gave you a little poetry dig right there, I’m keeping it short (ish).

I was having a conversation with my housemate today – he’s lovely. Really nice chap. We were talking for literally so long – covering every topic from uni, psychology, grandparents, camping, religion, American politics, around to feminism, brought about by talking about our haircuts.

I spent a whole hour wandering round the city today, looking for somewhere to get my hair cut (just a cut! Dry cut!!) for under £30. You know what pisses me off? Those ‘Gents from £7, Ladies from £15’ signs. Why?? Why why why. We eventually came to the conclusion that it’s because dudes just won’t pay it, as a general rule, whereas women will. But, what I didn’t say to him was that women feel like they have to (for many reasons…). This is not for the highlights and dye jobs and extensions. Literally for the same cut. With the same scissors. And I know guys with really long hair down their backs. I have a pixie cut – my hair is actually nearly exactly the same as my housemate’s, amusingly. Why are you charging me double then? For having tits, or what?

And we got on to other stuff – y’know, sciencey stuff, education, how come feminism is called feminism, and particularly men’s impacts: he referenced seeing a cartoon about female superheroes with realistic bodies, and accurately pointed out about male superhero bodies being just as unlikely, and annoying, and pressurising to guys. And everything he said, I agreed with. Everything I said, he agreed with. But he doesn’t identify as a ‘feminist’ because that is a woman-centred term.

I just said this (except I didn’t explain it this well in person!), which is as I understand it: feminism began as a woman’s movement, because women were an underclass; but the term has changed meaning to cover all gender inequality and true feminism will fight all the stupid stuff floating about that encourages inequality in any group – any gender, no gender, any race or ‘minority’. That feminism began for women, and now women can have the power to make a difference – and they are using that power, not just for themselves, but for everyone. Everyone is welcome to feminism. That its name is female-oriented doesn’t matter any more, or at least, it shouldn’t. We need to get past this block about this huge, broad umbrella that is ‘feminism’, because when people really understand (and when it’s done properly), I don’t think there’s a massive amount to argue about.

Anyway, he sure sounded like a feminist to me.

Goodnight from Post No. 40!! Yours gratefully-for-still-reading-this, Georgie

In Other News: Texts from my Bro

Love my bro. He’s great. We were just texting just normally, and then this came through… This is how the conversation went…

Love you baba! Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That

Was

Not

(me) Hahahahahahahaha

For You

(me) Laughing so much

Fuck sake